Sen. Dick Durbin Whips Out Poster Of Alex Pretti. Turns Out It’s Fake

Someone in the props department is getting fired.

Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin took to the Senate floor Wednesday to “condemn the killing of U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers and to demand the Trump Administration take accountability for its actions,” according to his social media. Durbin used the example of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man shot by Border Patrol agents during a scuffle Saturday. (RELATED: Trump Admin Places Agents In Alex Pretti Shooting On Administrative Leave) 

“I’m going to show a photo of that scene, which is graphic.” Durbin said, holding a large print-out. “But I’m afraid it’s necessary to appreciate the horror of the moment. This photo shows the last second before the [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] agent killed Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis.” 

Democrat Senator Dick Durbin uses AI generated image on the Senate floor to try to portray events in Minnesota. One of the ICE agents in the photo does not have a head: pic.twitter.com/p7uGHsD72S

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 29, 2026

The only trouble being: Durbin’s photo does not show the last second before Pretti’s death. Durbin’s photo appears to be artificially generated. Otherwise, it’d be tough to explain why one of the “ICE agents” apprehending Pretti is missing a head. (Also, Pretti was reportedly killed by Border Patrol agents, not by an ICE agent.)

It does not appear Durbin’s office generated the AI image themselves. The image went somewhat viral in online left-wing circles following Pretti’s death — One Facebook post made Sunday includes the same image Durbin seemingly brought to the Senate floor, headless law enforcement agent and all. (RELATED: Tom Homan Vows Not To Surrender Immigration Enforcement While Chaos Ensues In Minnesota)

And other AI-generated images of Pretti have proliferated since Saturday. MS NOW featured a blatantly edited headshot of Pretti in a clip, admitting to their mistake in the description of the YouTube video: “MS NOW swapped out the original thumbnail image for this video. The previous thumbnail used was an AI-enhanced image of Alex Pretti.”

Nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed days ago by an ICE agent at a rally in Minnesota, helped disabled veterans get back on their feet. And there is nothing more that needs to be added about the spirit of this man. pic.twitter.com/tJp24Etguy

— Olena Rohoza (@OlenaRohoza) January 28, 2026

Another AI-generated image purports to show Pretti in his nurse’s scrubs, guiding two men with prosthetic legs in physical therapy. Some seem a tad desperate to paint Pretti as a boy scout. 

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC